Metallic structural element



June 21, 1949. g, c, T|MM 2,473,976

METALLIC STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Filed Jan. 1.9, 1944 INVENTOR. /0///\/ C.T/MM ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to metal structural elements and moreparticularly to expanded structural shapes adapted to be employed asbeams, girders, struts, and the like. The elements may be used in theconstruction of buildings, ships, airplanes, reinforced concrete, and inanalogous structures.

The principal object of the invention is to cut and expand the webs ofrolled shapes such as channels, and other similar shapes to form, from asingle integral length of metal, beams or girders, these elements forthe most part being made without riveting, welding, or otherwisefastening parts thereof, resulting in a saving of metal while at thesame time producing strong structural elements.

The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription of certain forms thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary perspectives and Fig. 3 an end view of adouble channel member before and after expansion.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the structuralmember comprises a centrally disposed inverted channel portion 99 to thelower edges of which are integrally connected angle portions 38, 38,having inwardly directed horizontal flanges 40. All, and verticalflanges 44, M. The horizontal flanges of the angle portions are slit atll to form Z-shaped cuts. When so slit and then expanded, as illustratedin Fig. 2, the portion 39 forms an upper chord 42 to which the lowerchords 43 are connected by ties 28. It will be noted that theintermediate portions of the side angles are spaced vertically from theupper chord to form lower chords and that the end portions of the sideangles are inclined upwardly to form diagonals 45 and horizontalterminal portions 66, 46', the horizontal flanges of which are connectedwith the chord 42 at the lower edges of the latter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, but it will be noted that in this form the Z-slits are madein the web of a rolled shape and that one portion of the web is sodisplaced with respect to the re mainder of the web that the relativelydisplaced portions lie in spaced parallel planes. It is also to be notedthat in the illustrated form of the invention that the ties connectingthe relatively spaced portions of the webs are integral therewith. Itmay further be observed that in the embodiment illustrated there areflanged portions normal and connected to the displaced portions of thewebs. Hence, it will be seen that structural elements, employing aminimum of metal but possessing great strength, may be produced from asingle length of a rolled shape, the metal being so cut and expandedthat the elements are integrally formed without resorting to extraconnecting means.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

A sheet metal beam element comprising a channel portion havingdownwardly turned flanges extending from end to end of the beam, a pairof portions, angle shaped in cross-section, said portions beingtransversely spaced outwardly and on opposite sides of said channelportion, each of said spaced portions comprising in cross-section anoutwardly positioned vertical flange and an inwardly directed horizontalflange, the medial portion of each of said inwardly directed flangesbeing parallel to but spaced from said channel portion, and a pluralityof vertical web elements integrally connected to said channel portionand to said medial portions, the terminal ends of said inwardly directedflanges lying in the same plane as the edges of said channel portion andintegrally connected thereto, each or" said angle shaped portions havinga diagonally positioned part at each end of said medial portionconnecting said medial portion to the terminal ends of that angle-shapedportion.

JOHN C. TIMM.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 799,653 Kahn Sept. 19, 1905843,726 White Feb. 12, 1907 1,090,843 Golding Mar. 24, 1914 1,287,507Stroebe Dec. 10, 1918 1,669,095 Macomber May 8, 1928 1,733,778 ConnellOct. 29, 1929 2,172,806 Probeck Sept. 12, 1939 2,185,384 Rafter Jan. 2,1940 2,191,788 Collins Feb. 27, 1940 2,233,719 Vanderveld Mar. 4, 1941FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 56,075 Switzerland Feb. 14, 1912138,420 Great Britain Feb. 12, 1920

